Flexible hose



Sept. 7, 1954 N. c. cUDDEBAcK FLEXIBLE HOSE Filed April 3, 194s 3 Sheets-Sheet l W NM.. NM.

INVENTOR. Neoz, C ATTORNEY,

SePf- 7, 1954 N. c. CUDDEBACK 2,688,343

FLEXIBLE HOSE Filed April 3, 1,948

, HFGENEQATbQ m59 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l PE IN V EN TOR.

Mamma 6". B

TTOHNE Y.

Sept 7, 1954 N. c. cUDDEBAcK 2,688,343

FLEXIBLE HOSE Filed April 3, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 HE GENERATOR (ELECT-Eon" A INVENTOR. K Nelson Czzddeba/C( ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 7, 1954 r UNITED STATES PATENT FICE 'FLEXIBLE 'HOSE 'Nelson C. Guddeback, Chicago ,iHeights,vIll., f-assignor to The Hooverl Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 3', 1948, Serial'No.18,773

Claims. C1. 13S-56) ,-1 2

This-invention relates to flexible-hose, particuingi edges of the taperoverlapping. Simultanelarly adapted for use-with suction cleaners and ousl-y the mating edges of the tapeare 'heatto the method of makingthe same. sealed to each other to Vform a lhose having; an A lhoselfor use with suction cleaners must-be lintegral wall with a spiral passage from end flexible for-ease inmanipulating the'hand tools to end thereof in which the reinforcing wire is and-berigid to resist compressive forces so `that looselyv positioned.

it will not be collapsed when trod upon by the According to another mode `the hose of this operator. invention mayI be made byfirstextruding a-tape In order to `make hose rigid to compressive of thermoplasticmaterial as in the rstmode `forces it has been proposed to seal'fa reinforcing 10 -but omitting the reinforcing'wire from'the paswire into the Walls of thehose` between two layers -sage whichextends fromV end to end of the tape. of thermoplastic material. In the past the-re- The tape is then spirally'wound on a mandrel inforcing wire has been sealed in the wallsfof and the-matingedges heat-sealedtogetherasin the'hose so that it 'has vnofreedom ofmovement the-first mode. This will form a hose having an With the result that vthe hose is too -rigid and 15 integral-wall offthermoplastic material withthe unadaptable for use with `a suction cleaner. `helical passagev extending from end to end there- 'Flexiblehosehas alsobeen made witha reinof. A reinforcing wireslightly smallerin crossforcing wire lying between two vlayers of thersection than the passage is wound on a mandrel moplastic material in which the reinforcing wire in any suitablemanner so thatwhenvtension is has freedom of movement, but the layers 4of 20 lreleased the diameter of the resulting'helix will thermoplastic material can also Vmove relative *be the same `as the meandiameter of the helix to each other. If the'hose liner is not secured `of thepassage inthe hose wall. The pitch of to the covering the liner will collapse due to the thewire is preferablythe same as that of the low suction pressure in the hose. `helical passageway.

According to this invention, the necessity for The freeV end of the wire helix isthen inserted separate inner and outer layers is eliminated. into one end of the Vhelical passageway in the According to one mode of operation lthe entire hose walls `andthe tube and-the helix rotated wall thickness including the inner-wal1 and the relative to each other so as to threadthe Ywire outer wall with the reinforcing wire' therebetween through the helical passage. This -will form a is formed simultaneously by a single extrusion 30 reinforcing hose in all respects-the same asthat process. The recess between the innerand outer -madev by the rst mode. walls inwhieh the reinforcing wirelies is made Other objects and advantages of this invenlarger than the Wireto permit the wire freedom tion will-become apparent as the description proof movement so asto .render the finished hose ceeds'when taken iniconnection withthe accomsuiiicientlyilexible. panying drawings in which:

According to Vone mode of making the hose Figure 1 shows an extrudingmachine'forformof this invention a reinforcing wire is passed ing a reinforced tape bywhich'thefhose of this through a guide tube and die of an extruding invention may be made;

machine in which a thermoplastic material is Figure 2 shows afwinding and sealinginachine extruded about the Wire in Such' marmer that the 40 for forming the lhose of thisinvention from the guide tube ,separates-the material 'from the wire rape formedby the extruder of Figure 1;

until it is set before leaving the tip of .theguide "Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view tube and die so that thematerial is separated of the hose 0f this invention; from the wire. The dieis so shaped as to'form Figure 4 shows a combined extruder and windaplastic strip having edges of such configuration ing and sealing machine in which the tape is ,that they will mate and overlap when the strip transferred `directly from the extruder to the is wound about amandrel. mandrel;

The tape 01' Strip .thus formed may be trans- Figure 5 shows one form of machine by'which ferred to a reel for future use and later transa, preformed wire helix may be threaded inte a ferred to a winding and sealing machine or it helical passage inthe walls of the hose of thermomay be transferred directly to the winding and plastic material; and sealing machine. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view through a In the Winding and sealing machine Athe thermodified form of hose-according to `this invenmoplastic tape with the wire enclosed 4therein tion. is spirally wound about a mandrel wththemat- Referring to Fig. 3 of thedrawings, the hose of this invention comprises a tape I having zigzag edges II which overlap and mate with each other when the tape is wound on a mandrel. In the finished hose the overlapping edges I I are heat-sealed together to form an integral wall structure. The tape I0 is formed with a passage I2 in which is positioned a reinforcing wire I3 somewhat smaller in cross-section than the passage I2. The wire I3 is preferably made of relatively high strength spring steel. In the drawings, the relative cross-sectional areas of the passage I2 and the wire I3 is shown exaggerated for clarity in illustration. The relative sizes of the passage and wire may be Vvaried to vary the flexibility of the finished hose.

The extruder of Fig. 1 comprises a female die tube I4 and a combined guide tube and male die I5. The internal passage of the female die I4 is of the Same shape and size as the tape I0 desired. The internal passage of the male die I5 is of a shape and size to slidably receive the reinforcing wire I3 while its external periphery is of the same shape and size as the passage I2. A cooling jacket I6 surrounds the exterior of the female die I4.

In operation the wire I3 is fed longitudinally through the male die I5 while thermoplastic I1 is forced into the space between the male and female dies I5 and I4 respectively. As the material passes beneath the cooling jacket I5 it sets so that a space is formed between the material and the wire I3 depending upon the size of the exterior of the male die I5. The tape I0 with the wire I3 therein as it issues from the extruder may be wound upon a reel I8 for future use or it may be fed directly to a winding and sealing machine as will be explained in connection with Fig. 4.

The next step in the first mode of manufacture of the hose of this invention is carried out on the winding andsealing machine of Fig. 2. The machine comprises a bedplate 20, a rotating head 2 I, a tail stock 22, two lead screws 23 and 24, two guide rods and 25 and two carriers '21 and 28.

The carriage 21 is carried by the screw 23 and the guide rod 25 and has provision for rotatably carrying the reel I8. Guide rollers 29, and 3| are provided for the tape ID as it is led to a mandrel 32 rotatably carried by the rotating head 2l and the tail stock 22. A brake 33 is provided for applying a retarding action to the reel I8 so as to apply the proper tension to the tape I0 asit is wound on the mandrel 32 so that the tape I0 and wire I3 will be properly coiled about the mandrel.

The carriage 28 is made of insulating material and is carried by the lead screw 24 and the guide rod 2G. The pitch of the screws 23 and 24 are the same and also the same as the pitch desired for the tape I0 and Wire I3. An electrode `roller 34 is carried by the carrierv 28 by means of a bracket 35 which is spring-pressed downwardly by a spring 36.

The end of the bracket 35 makes electrical contact with a contact member 31 connected by a line wire 38 to one side of a high frequency generator 39, the other side of which is connected to the rotating head '2| in any suitable manner. For example, the line wire 40 may be `,connected to a brush engaging a slip ring carried by the rotating head 2l. Thus, the roller 34 forms one electrode of the high frequency generator 39 and the mandrel 32 the other while the overlapping edges of the tape I0 forms the dielectric to be heated.

In operation the reel I8 is transferred to the carriage 21 and the end of tape I0 with the wire I3 therein is threaded through the guide rollers 29, 35 and 3|. The end of the tape I0 is then wound at least once about the left end of the mandrel 32 with the mating edges I I overlapping and the electrode roller 34 applied over the overlapping edges II. The brake 33 is then applied to the reel I8 and the motor which drives the rotating head is simultaneously energized with the high frequency generator 39.

As the mandrel 32 is rotated the carriages 21 and 28 are advanced longitudinally toward the tail stock 22 so that the tape I0 and reinforcing wire I3 are wound helically about the mandrel with the edges I I overlapping. The electrode roller 34 advances along the overlapping edges II so that a high frequency field is applied to the material of the edges II. Heat is thus produced therein and the edges II are heatsealed to each other. The h'eat dissipating propertes of the roller 34 of the mandrel 32 is such vthat the heat is carried away from the exterior and interior surfaces of the tape I0. As a result the tape I0 is heated to plastic condition only at the joint between the overlapping edges II which are heat-sealed to each other to form an integral tube wall having a helically coiled reinforcing wire I3 positioned in a helical passageway extending from one end of the hose to the other in such manner that the Wire I3 has freedom of movement relative to the hose walls proper.

When the winding and sealing of the hose about the mandrel 32 is completed it is removed from the machine, the hose cut into suitable lengths and removed from the mandrel in any suitable manner.

The hose of this invention may be made by alternate methods. For example, the tape I0 with the passage I2 therein may be extruded, spirally wound and heat-sealed at the overlapping mating edges independently of the reinforcing wire I3. The wire I3 may then be spirally wound separately and threaded into the helical passageway in the hose walls thus formed. One form of apparatus for carrying out such a method is shown in Figures 4 and 5.

Referring to Fig. 4 the apparatus is similar to the machine of Fig. 2 and has been given the same reference numerals where the parts are the same. Only the modified construction will be specifically described. A carriage 4I has been substituted for the carriage 21 of Fig. 2. The carriage 4I carries an extruder 42 which is in all respects like that of Fig. 1 except that the opening in the male die I5 for the passage ofthe wire I3 may be omitted although this is not essential for its operation. The male die may be round or oval to receive a round or oval reinforcing wire rather than the flat Wire shown in Fig. 3. The carriage 4I also carries guide rollers 43 and 44 to properly guide the tape I0 to the mandrel 3'2.

In operation, a short length of tape is first extruded from the extruder 42, fed through the guide rollers 43 and 44 and wound at least once about the left end of the mandrel 32 with the edges overlapping. The electrode roller 34 is then positioned over the overlapping edges II. The extrusion will then be continued simultaneously with the energization of the high frequency generator 39 and of themotor which drives the rotating head 2l. A hose will be formed as in the apparatus of Fig. 2 except that the re- This will cause the wire I3 apodera -the mandrelis transferred .to .the 'machine .of

x5lwhichfcomprisesra;bedplate 50, a rotating headl I, .a .steadyzrestz carried byxthel `ioedplate Elend .a carriage53 -carried.by: a lead screw 54 .and as guide rod 'f55. The lead rscrew 54Visgeared tothe rotating head 5I1and hasv a pitchithe same :as Y.that of the vspiral passageway the 'hose 'walls Af'bearing 56 receives fthe `outer endof -the-'hose Aand mandrellto-,rotatably support them lwithin'vtheJstea'dyrest 52. The-'carriage 53car .fries awire holder "5'I to whichis rigidly secured one `end of `afpreviouslyWound helicalfwire I3. This wire is preferably wound on y a mandrel small-erthan .the mean diameter vof the helical passageway `I2 in the hose wall so that when the tension-isreleased the =wire-willexpand to a diameter the same as thatlof .the mean Adiameter `.of the Ypassage I2.

Thecrosssection of the Wirev I3 is smaller-than Athat .of thepassage I2 sothat a guide .mouse 58 may be positioned over the .free end of thehelix .and inserted in the end of the helical passageway I2. The motor which drives ,the-head' 5I is then energized .so as to simultaneously rotate the mandrel vand advance the carriage 53 `towards the headwhile the Wire is Vheld-'against rotation. to advance and be threaded into the helical passageway I2. After the operation is completed the mandrel 32 and completed hose is removed, the hose cut-to suitable lengths and removedfrom the mandrelfin any suitable manner.

According to the second mode the wire I3 and passage I2 can be circular or oval in conguration While according to thexrst mode the Wire I3.and passageway I2 are preferably flat so that when the tape is wound on'the mandrel .3.2 the wire I3 will have less tendency .to cut through the Walls ofthe tape I0.

A modifedform of hose according to this invention is shown in Fig'. `6. According to this modicationthehose comprises a helical tape 60 having diagonal matingvedges 6I heat-sealed to each other, a helical passageway 62 having a 'helically 'wound reinforcing'wire 63 therein .and electric conducting Vwires 64 embedded in the walls of the tape 60 on each side of the passageway 62.

The tube of Fig. 6 may be made in the same way as in that of Fig. 3 except that the extruding machine would have additional guide tubes for the conducting wires 64 so positioned relative to the female die that the thermoplastic material will 110W completely about the wires 64 so as to embed them in the Walls of the tape 60 as it is formed.

The tube of Fig. 6 is especially useful where an electrical adjunct is mounted on the end of a suction hose since the electrical energy can be transmitted to the adjunct by means of the conducting wires 64.

While I have shown but a number of modications of my invention it is to be understood that these modications are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure and method shown and described but to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

It is to be understood that the protection herein applied for is not conned tothe particu- .applied for for .any .oneor :or elements referred to in lar :combinations of features :or elements :set` out in the following claims. Protection .is herein more 'of `the ffeatures the following claims, or described in vthe foregoing specification or shownin the .accompanying drawings, 'eitherndependent-,1y `or .in combination.

Iclaim:

1. :'A flexible vhose comprising, .a cylindrical. wall formed fof a .spirally wound single@thickness thermoplastic tape bonded together between its adjacent convolutionsfand having a helical passageway therein extending from one end thereof Yto Vthe other, and a reinforcing wire positioned in said passageway, the 'relative size vof -sa-'id passageway and-"wire beingsuchthat said wire has freedom yof movement in said passageway. said cylindrical wall comprising laY helicallywound tape of thermoplastic -inaterial having mating laterally extending fins in overlappingrelationship with each other and sealedjtogetherto 'form an integral wall.

2. The method of manufacturing ahose which comprises forming-a vstrip comprising a continuous rib having nsalong its longitudinalfedges from elastomeric-composition, winding'said strip spirally with `the ns 'of adjacent turns `overlapping, and fusing "the iins together' `by theapplication of heat to form an integral structure.

3. The method of manufacturing a hose which comprises forming a strip comprising a icontinuous rib 'having fins along its longitudinal edges 'from elastomeric composition, winding said strip spirally with the fins of adjacent turns overlapping, and electronically sewing said 'fins together to form an integral structure. 4. The method of manufacturing a hose which comprises forming a strip comprising a continuous rib having fins along its longitudinal yedges from elastomeric composition, winding said .spirally with the lins of adjacent turns overlapping, and simultaneously electronically sewing said fins together.

6. The method of manufacturing hose which comprises extruding elastomeric composition around a reinforcing member to provide a continuous strip comprising a reinforced rib having iins on its longitudinal edges, winding said strip spirally with the ns of adjacent turns overlapping, and fusing the ns together by the application of heat to form an integral structure.

'7. The method of manufacturing hose which comprises extruding elastomeric composition around one or more reinforcing wires to provide a continuous strip comprising a wire reinforced rib having ns on its ing said strip spirally with the fins of adjacent turns overlapping, and fusing the ns together by the application of heat to form an integral structure.

8. The method of manufacturing hose which comprises extruding elastomeric composition around one or more reinforcing wires to provide a continuous strip comprising a wire reinforced rib having iins on its longitudinal edges, winding said strip spirally with the ns of adjacent turns overlapping, and simultaneously fusing the fins longitudinal edges, windy'together by the application of heat to form an integral structure.

9. The method of manufacturing hose which comprises extruding elastomeric composition around one or more reinforcing wires to provide a continuous strip comprising a Wire reinforced rib having fins on its longitudinal edges, winding said strip spirally with the ns of adjacent turns overlapping, and simultaneously electronically sewing said fins together to form an integral structure. f

10. The method of manufacturing a flexible hose which comprises forming strips comprising a continuous ribhaving ns along its longitudinal edges from elastomeric composition, the fins being relatively thin as compared to the thickness of lthe rib, Winding such strips spirally with the fins of adjacent turns overlapping, and fusing the ns together by the application of heat to form an integral structure.

11. The method of manufacturing a flexible hose which comprises extruding elastomeric composition around a reinforcing member to provide a continuous strip comprising a reinforced rib having relatively thin fins on its longitudinal edges, winding said strips spirally with the fins of adjacent turns overlapping, and fusing the fins together by the application of heat to form an integral structure.

12. The method of manufacturing a flexible hose which comprises extruding elastomeric composition around a reinforcing member to provide a continuous strip comprising a reinforced rib having relatively thin fins on its longitudinal edges, said fins being offset relatively to each other by an amount equal substantially to their thickness, winding said strips spirally with the ns of adjacent turns overlapping, and fusing the fins together by the application of heat to form an integral structure.

13. The method of manufacturing flexible'hose which comprises extruding elastomeric composition around one or more reinforcing wires to provide a continuous strip comprising a wire reinforcing rib having relatively thin ns on its longitudinal edges, winding said strips spirally with the ns of adjacent turns overlapping, and fusing the fins together by the application of heat to form an integral structure.

14. The method of manufacturing a hose which comprises forming a strip comprising a continuous rib having fins along its longitudinal edges from elastomeric composition, and with a reinforcing member encased in the rib, winding such strip spirally with the ns of adi acent turns overlapping, and fusing `the fins together by the application of heat to form an integral structure. l

15. The method of manufacturing a flexible hose which comprises forming strips comprising a continuous rib having ns along its longitudinal edges from elastomeric composition, the fins being relatively thin as compared to the thickness of the rib and with a reinforcing member encased in the rib, winding such strips spirally with the fins of the adjacent ribs overlapping and fusing the fins together by the application of heat to form an integral structure.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 132,006 Harris Oct. 8, 1872 133,219 Gately Nov. 19, 1872 1,088,311 Wheeler Feb. 24, 1914 1,252,109 Heckman Jan. 1, 1918 1,314,670 Juve et a1. Sept. 2, 1919 1,394,300 Gommeter Oct. 18, 1921 1,625,983 Carter Apr. 26, v1927 1,632,398 Franks June 14, 1927 1,661,069 Hartung Feb. 28, 1928 1,746,701 Kimmich Feb. 11,1930 1,974,285 MacLachlan Sept. 18, 1934 2,137,887 Abbott Nov. 22, 1938 2,291,670 Wiley Aug. 4, 1942 2,321,064 Broedling June 8, 1943 2,337,373 Chernack Dec. 21, 1943 2,364,962 Eagles Dec. 12, 1944 2,405,909 Smith Aug. 13, 1946 2,440,668 Tarbox Apr. 27, 1948 2,486,387 Bringolf Nov. 1, 1949 2,517,672 Jenkins Aug. 8, 1950 2,630,157 Smellie Mar. 3, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 346,639 Great Britain Apr. 16, 1931 OTHER REFERENCES 

